44 likely going to rafters

[crownsy]

I've been a big Ainge fan since his playing days in Boston. But I don't think #44 should be retired at this point. I think retired numbers should be reserved for very special occasions. I don't even think #34 is guaranteed to be retired - at least not yet. If Ainge were to guide this franchise to another handful of titles over the next 10-20 years, then maybe you'd have to think about it.

34 is going up. paul is going to finish his run (assuming 4-5 more average years) as

1. at least 4th in all time Celtic scoring, with an outside shot at #2 in front of bird.

2. Top 10 in total rebounds

3. will finish top in free throws

4. probley about 6th in total assists, right behind DJ.

5. top ten in minutes played all time.

and that just dry stats, forget what he ment to an entire generation (read:me) of fans growing up who didn't have the successes of the 80's teams to draw upon. He WAS the celtics for an entire generation who suffered with him. Thats whats going to make this so much sweeter (knock on wood) to me, i'm happy for ray and kevin, they seem like great guys. but im ecstatic for paul.

With or without this championship, Pierce is an all time Celtic.

 

[jackson_34]

I've been a big Ainge fan since his playing days in Boston. But I don't think #44 should be retired at this point. I think retired numbers should be reserved for very special occasions. I don't even think #34 is guaranteed to be retired - at least not yet. If Ainge were to guide this franchise to another handful of titles over the next 10-20 years, then maybe you'd have to think about it.

While I can't vouch for Ainge's number since I've never got to see him play (apart from a highlight of him fighting tree rollins ), I think pierce is definently deserving of having his number retired. He's put everything into this team and basically 'flaunts' celtic pride.  

[guava_wrench]

i'm probably in the minority here, but i don't see danny's jersey qualifying to be in the rafters...good player, and most definitely a winner, but some of you number crunchers need to prove this one to me.  (and i'm more than willing to change my mind if a good argument can be made...)

I think we should wait a few more years. Let the effects of the rebuilding he did play out and judge after that.

Seems a little hasty to retire everyone's number due to our giddiness at the moment.

[CfanMissippi]

I posted on this subject and "poof" it vanished..

I have been waiting since game 2 of this series to bring this up, being superstious I was waiting till the end.

Wyc is a man of his word and number 44 will hang from the rafters in Dannys honor unless DA forbids.

Lets not forget where we were when Danny took over, stuck in the revolving door of mid round drafting, over the salary cap, few players we could trade etc.

He has taken us from laughing stock to being a dominat team again, he deserves the honor.

[Hoops]

I've been a big Ainge fan since his playing days in Boston. But I don't think #44 should be retired at this point. I think retired numbers should be reserved for very special occasions. I don't even think #34 is guaranteed to be retired - at least not yet. If Ainge were to guide this franchise to another handful of titles over the next 10-20 years, then maybe you'd have to think about it.

What constitutes "very special", though?  Danny was a starter on two championship teams here as a player (and played in the Finals two other years), and may bring another title as a GM.  Is that really so different than the contributions of some of the other retired guys, who didn't put up huge numbers?   

I hear what you're saying Roy. I guess I'm just not a big fan of the whole "instant history" approach that we take so much in sports these days. So, you know, I understand that the point of this thread is to look prospectively into the future and that's fine. But I just think these types of decisions (retiring jerseys)need to be made after some marination time.

I prefer to look at the whole body of work before making a decision. It's too hard to look at things when you're right in the middle of it. Who knows what could happen or how the landscape could change in the future. It's much easier done with hindsight. Right now, we make all of these qualifying remarks, such as "if this" or "assuming that." Why not just wait until it all plays out?  With Ainge, maybe he's deserving of the honor if the Celtics win #17 this year. But what if he guides the franchise to several more titles over the next several years? Wouldn't it be better to bestow that honor once we've seen everything that he accomplishes? If he earned it strictly as a player, his jersey would have been retired by now. So, in Ainge's case, if he does get it, it will be because of "lifetime" contributions to the success of the Celtics. So, all I'm saying is let's wait until we see everything he accomplishes before we hang #44.

We didn't retire #33 in 1986 after Bird won his 3rd title and his 3rd straight MVP - we let him finish his career as a player and then gave him the honor. Maybe it's semantics, but that's my take...

[crownsy]

agree on letting people finish out their runs, but to be fair danny isn't a player anymore, should we wait out his gm run and then think about it? or does the  fact that he already retired from the court make him eligible?

[Hoops]

agree on letting people finish out their runs, but to be fair danny isn't a player anymore, should we wait out his gm run and then think about it? or does the  fact that he already retired from the court make him eligible?

I think we should wait out his GM run, yes. Again, I loved him as a player - he was probably my third favorite Celtic growing up (behind Bird and barely behind McHale). Ainge was a winner and a fantastic competitor. I'm just not sure he did enough as a Celtics player to warrant retiring his jersey. But, he was traded halfway through his career and that wasn't his fault. He was a big contributor when he went to the finals with Portland and with Phoenix - so clearly he's a winner. But should his entire career after Boston be considered or not? I don't know the answer to that.

I did just think of one thing that makes me reconsider a little bit. 4 of the 5 starters from the '86 team have their jerseys retired. Ainge is the only one who doesn't.

...ok....dangit....I'm changing my mind - I take back everything I've said - put #44 in the rafters, baby!!

[bostonsportsfan]

Is there a major problem with players wearing triple digit jerseys unless its against nba rule it wouldnt bother me. I dont know if its  number retired id be okay with that but danny has to be honored in some way this is amazing

[cordobes]

Danny deserves it.  He was a key component on the Celtics championship teams, and if he brings yet another title here, this is an honor he readily deserves.  People forget just how good Danny was; on any team where he wasn't the fifth option, he would have been averaging 18 - 20 points per night, as he did after his trade to the Kings.

If Scal has to give up his number, so be it.  Let's do this, Wyc.

Scal is not giving up his number without a fight:

Told yesterday of Grousbeck’s old promise, Scalabrine feigned anger.

“I ain’t going to let them do it,” he said. “No way. They can’t have it. They’ll have to rip it off my back.”

Scalabrine then paused to think - always a dangerous thing with Scal - before revealing his brainstorm.

“No, I’ve got it,” he said. “Danny has to play me one-on-one and beat me if he wants the number back. If not, it doesn’t happen. I’m keeping it. I have the right to 44.”

Besides the fact Ainge really isn’t into this whole number retirement idea, it begged the question of whether Scalabrine actually thinks he can take Ainge.

“Oh, I definitely can beat Danny one-on-one,” he said, still in character. “No question. Danny’s not beating me one-on-one. Headline that sucker right there: He cannot beat me one-on-one.”

And when he does beat you, what number will you ask for?

“Thirty-three,” Scalabrine said without hesitation.

In the case Ainge beats Scal, and we win a championship with this team, I agree Danny's number shall be retired. And stats don't really matter - this franchise is not about individual stats, as Red would say.

[Bahku]

I've been a big Ainge fan since his playing days in Boston. But I don't think #44 should be retired at this point. I think retired numbers should be reserved for very special occasions. I don't even think #34 is guaranteed to be retired - at least not yet. If Ainge were to guide this franchise to another handful of titles over the next 10-20 years, then maybe you'd have to think about it.

34 is going up. paul is going to finish his run (assuming 4-5 more average years) as

1. at least 4th in all time Celtic scoring, with an outside shot at #2 in front of bird.

2. Top 10 in total rebounds

3. will finish top in free throws

4. probley about 6th in total assists, right behind DJ.

5. top ten in minutes played all time.

and that just dry stats, forget what he ment to an entire generation (read:me) of fans growing up who didn't have the successes of the 80's teams to draw upon. He WAS the celtics for an entire generation who suffered with him. Thats whats going to make this so much sweeter (knock on wood) to me, i'm happy for ray and kevin, they seem like great guys. but im ecstatic for paul.

With or without this championship, Pierce is an all time Celtic.

 

Really great post, Crownsy ... and I couldn't agree more. Paul was the only reason I kept watching this team for the last dozen or so, and this city and franchise owe a huge debt to this guy, for carrying this club on his back for so long. The biggest shame is that it's only just now that the rest of the world is beginning to get a taste of how amazing a ball player this guy really is, and just now starting to realize exactly why Shaq named him "The Truth".

[Triboy16]

Honestly 44 doesn't deserve to go up the rafters. Ainge was just a great side or bench player for the celts. I mean you can't retire every singe special role player when the celts won a couple times during the 80's. Just cuz as a gm he made that awsome trade doesn't mean he should have his number retire. Plain over valueing a player imo

Pierce number regardless of anything should go up, and kg and ray allens can go up if they win three in a row.

the end

[johnnyrondo]

Honestly 44 doesn't deserve to go up the rafters. Ainge was just a great side or bench player for the celts. I mean you can't retire every singe special role player when the celts won a couple times during the 80's. Just cuz as a gm he made that awsome trade doesn't mean he should have his number retire. Plain over valueing a player imo

Pierce number regardless of anything should go up, and kg and ray allens can go up if they win three in a row.

the end

IS there no other way to say "good job" or honor someone then retiring their number? Why not retire a number for Jan Volk. Or Ed Lacerte?  I wish the Celtics, being the most successful team in the League's history, would hold a higher standard for retired numbers. It's not easy to get your number retired by the Red Sox, Lakers, or Yankees. You'd think the Celtics would be in that same class (should be even higher). Should Ainge get credit if we win the series? Yes.  Just like Mitch Cupchack should if the Lakers come back and win. Neither should get their number retired.

The number retiring thing started out as a great honor, but the whole idea is short sighted. Names up in the rafters would be a better direction imo.